Abysmal Kerr County Goes After Camp Mystic

Kerr County is the local authority pursuing justice against the owners of Camp Mystic.  There could not be a more inappropriate government to undertake this effort given the County's nonresponse the evening of the disastrous July 4th flood.  

Kerr County did not drill for a flash flood disaster under the tenure of Emergency Management Coordinator William "Dub" Thomas (2015-2026).  In addition, it did not evaluate its "response" to the deadly July 4th flash flood event. These are basic competencies in the disaster response world.

Kerr County's Assistant County Attorney responded to the public information request:

Kerr County has completed its search for records responsive to your request for the Sheriff’s Office, all County Commissioners, Information Technology, Road & Bridge, Engineering, and the County Attorney’s Office. 

After a diligent search of files, records, and information systems reasonably likely to contain responsive materials, these departments and/or department heads have no records responsive to your request.

For some reason Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas legislature are giving Kerr County officials a free pass, other than some initial public humiliation.  

Kerr County officials did not participate in State of Texas Emergency Management phone calls prior to the July 4th floods.  Numerous other Texas County Judges and Emergency Management Coordinators fulfilled their duties and took life saving actions prior to and during the flooding.  Kerr County did not.

If the local government's position is that Camp Mystic leaders should have been able to predict, then that also applies to Kerr County, which never got off its fallen face, but the state continues to cover for it.

If there ever were a case of legal malpractice, this is it.  Kerr County should be prosecuting itself or the State of Texas should lead legal accountability for Kerr County leaders who clearly abdicated their responsibilities to plan, drill, evaluate those drills, respond to an actual event and then evaluate that response.

Camp Mystic may deserve the same but not at the hands of the "do nothing" local government charged with protecting it during a disaster.

ASAC to Hear Kennel Construction Update

Three and a half years after City Council approved an urgent request from city leaders to borrow $2 million to renovate a failing Animal Shelter, the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee will get an update on that yet-to-start project.  

City Council approved the shift to constructing multiple pods on December 2, 2025.  

The urgent financing was proposed in February 2023.  Five months from now, the time frame in the above report, puts it at March 2027.  Next up would be the bid process and once a successful bidder has been chosen, construction would begin.

I know how much my purchasing power has fallen in the last few years.  Given Council's hesitance to invest in competent Animal Services, I expect residents to get much less in shelter facility output from all the delays.  

The prior borrowing cost over $100,000 in fees and interest, a sum much better spent on low cost spay/neuter given San Angelo's third world level of street animals.  Time will reveal Council's wishes and whether any strategies will be undertaken to reverse years of "let them roam unaltered."

First Major FEMA Test Under Trump II

FEMA will have its first major test since TechGod Elon Musk unleashed the Department of Ungodly Greedy Executives Biased Against Government (DOUGEBAG).  

The storm is hitting on a Friday evening, a setback for government which often just runs during the week.  

Hospitals will need help as soon as the winds and water come down enough.  I say this having lived through a river flooded, teaching hospital in Virginia and worked to evacuate a Texas Gulf Coast hospital prior to a record hurricane (Hurricane Gilbert which failed to make the predicted turn and hit Mexico).

When the Bush White House seemed slow on Hurricane Katrina, I sent my estimate of the number of patients remaining in New Orleans hospitals, many of which needed urgent evacuations.

Hurricane Isaias is hitting deep Red Trump territory weeks before an election.  They may be more charitable to FEMA than most, but their patience and understanding could wane if help is too slow.  

Praying for people in harm's way to be in safe places and for the Lord to watch over and protect them.  

(Posted on StateoftheDivision as this blog has many posts on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.)

Update 10-19-26:  The Guardian reported:

US disaster survivors still await at least $10bn in federal aid: ‘It’s devastating’